chicago

The Pretty Muddy women’s mud run is arriving in Chicago on Saturday, September 15th at Pretty Muddy Farms in Orland Park. And if you hurry, you can register before the event sells out! What can you expect? A women-only event featuring obstacles, great activities, a pretty awesome after party and yes, the opportunity to get muddy.

For the last 5 years I have had the extreme honor of being asked to judge the annual auditions for the Luvabulls, the Chicago Bulls dance team that pumps up our awesome players & fans every game! It's actually really tough to choose a final squad from the hundreds who compete for the spot as all are so super talented, cool, positive, energetic and wonderful representations of our great city! Anyway, a bunch of people who follow me on Twitter & Facebook were intrigued and wanted to see more, so here is a random quick video glimpse of what I embrace as one of my favorite, unique, lively.. jobs I take on as a volunteer for one day a year!

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw my night out last night w/Olympian buds Ryan Lochte & Conor Dwyer. You obviously know how freakishly talented they are and how great they represented and competed for our country, but just wanted to say on a personal level, they are two solid great guys, pleasure to hang out with for sure.

City Winery Chicago opened last week at the west end of the Randolph corridor, anchoring restaurant row and extending the repertoire of venues. It’s Wine Country in the West Loop. With a bold focus on wine and a fully functioning winery, City Winery crafts a culture of music, food and entertainment hinged upon the cornerstone of great wine as envisioned by founder and owner Michael Dorf.

It’s that time of year when Chicagoans flock to rooftops across the city, tourists and locals alike head to the beach and people of all ages settle in to watch jaw-dropping aerial and water stunts. Yup that’s right, I’m talking about the über popular Air & Water Show – the largest free military air & water show in the country…and it’s back for its 54th year! This coming weekend, August 18th-19th starting at 10am, prepare to be wowed by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team & U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as they take to the skies to perform dazzling acrobatics 12,000+ feet in the air. The best part, it’s completely free.

As the Wine Director and Co-Owner of BIN 36, I have the opportunity to support various charities and organizations through donations and special events. This August, I decided to take our philanthropic efforts a step further by creating the “Real Men Drink Pink” campaign, benefiting Bright Pink, the only national breast cancer organization focusing on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women while providing support for high risk individuals. Their efforts and work resonate with me on a personal level.

Summertime Chi…there’s nothing quite like it: concerts nightly, festivals every weekend, crazy cool parties (like last week’s Talent Show) every weekend; it’s nonstop fun this time of year & there’s more to come this week!

Hold onto your hats, Chicago! Or better yet…grab a new one. You’re favorite West Coast hatters, Goorin Bros. are hosting their first ever Chicago Sample Sale. Staying true to where their Chicago magic started 3 years ago, they are hosting this event at an off-site location in the city’s trendy Wicker Park neighborhood.

The producers of I Still Love H.E.R. (a tribute to hip-hop) are proud to introduce their newest offering to Chicago, "Wendell Tucker Hates the World." Wendell Tucker Hates the World is a comedic look at how depression affects a person's perception of the world and how minority communities tend to neglect the idea of mental wellness. This one-man show, starring writer and director Wendell Tucker, focuses on his experiences dealing with major depressive disorder, a condition that has led to him being labeled as the angriest man in theater.

If you’re a Blackhawks fan and planning on going to the upcoming Blackhawks Convention – like me – then last weekend was like Christmas for you. Convention passes and welcome letters were sent out to the delight of fans across Chicagoland. July 20th – 22nd the Hilton Chicago will become Blackhawks central; players & fans will flock to the iconic Chicago hotel for a weekend of hockey in the middle of summer – it’s quite a sight! This marks the 5th year of the convention and as in years past, it has completely sold out – unless you’re willing to go on StubHub. It’s no surprise this event is so popular. I went to my first convention last year and if you’re a fan of the Hawks, it’s something you NEED to go to.